I remember travel without a cell phone. It was an adventure with a map or an atlas and it required some advanced planning. It really wasn't long ago, either. Times and technology have changed so fast.
You are right, it really wasn't so long ago. It's amazing not only how fast technology changed but also how easily we all got used to it. Even as we might miss the old adventures with a paper map, most of us would not give up the new ease of travel. Thank you forreading and sharing your thoughts :)
It might also come in handy in remote areas with no cell coverage and in some National Parks. We don't carry the Atlas any longer, but sometimes we take a map when we know we might be traveling in remote areas. And some larger National Parks still give you a paper map when you visit. We were just navigating Glacier with one - it was a nice reminder of old days...
“It made travel slower, and forced us to learn more about the places we were visiting.”
This speaks to something I’ve also reflected on in my writing and there is some pang of regret on how technology has impacted the way we experience time, space, and place. I can only recall a handful of childhood road trips with my family to Florida and the East Coast where we travelled before cell phones. However, while we had cell phones while backpacking the Appalachian Trail in 2014, we rarely used them and it was something that greatly enhanced our experience to be untethered and simply walk without all the distractions beaming at us from the wider world.
That said, I also view this device not so much as a singular entity, i.e., a cell phone, but rather a multi tool that can enhance or inhibit one’s travel experiences depending on how we choose to use it. While traveling I use it to record my thoughts in Notes that might form into a future Substack post, snap a few photos for the memory bank, tune into my favorite podcasts, listen to some jazz while I read, look up nearby restaurants, navigate a bewildering city, and utilize my meditation app.
This was a great read with plenty of food for thought. Thanks for composing it for us!
Thank you so much! You are right, it is a multi-tool that can either enhance or inhibit our experiences, depending on how we use it. I use it for photos mainly - much smaller than a camera, and it's always in my pocket. I also use it for notes, like you do. Although I prefer old-fashioned notebooks most of the time, the convenience of a virtual notebook in my pocket often helps.
Backpacking the Appalachian Trail must have been an unforgettable experience! I can imagine how being on the trail would be so much better without the distractions.
I remember travel without a cell phone. It was an adventure with a map or an atlas and it required some advanced planning. It really wasn't long ago, either. Times and technology have changed so fast.
You are right, it really wasn't so long ago. It's amazing not only how fast technology changed but also how easily we all got used to it. Even as we might miss the old adventures with a paper map, most of us would not give up the new ease of travel. Thank you forreading and sharing your thoughts :)
I still have my trusted Road Map Atlas in my car for when I want to view the “bigger picture.”
It might also come in handy in remote areas with no cell coverage and in some National Parks. We don't carry the Atlas any longer, but sometimes we take a map when we know we might be traveling in remote areas. And some larger National Parks still give you a paper map when you visit. We were just navigating Glacier with one - it was a nice reminder of old days...
“It made travel slower, and forced us to learn more about the places we were visiting.”
This speaks to something I’ve also reflected on in my writing and there is some pang of regret on how technology has impacted the way we experience time, space, and place. I can only recall a handful of childhood road trips with my family to Florida and the East Coast where we travelled before cell phones. However, while we had cell phones while backpacking the Appalachian Trail in 2014, we rarely used them and it was something that greatly enhanced our experience to be untethered and simply walk without all the distractions beaming at us from the wider world.
That said, I also view this device not so much as a singular entity, i.e., a cell phone, but rather a multi tool that can enhance or inhibit one’s travel experiences depending on how we choose to use it. While traveling I use it to record my thoughts in Notes that might form into a future Substack post, snap a few photos for the memory bank, tune into my favorite podcasts, listen to some jazz while I read, look up nearby restaurants, navigate a bewildering city, and utilize my meditation app.
This was a great read with plenty of food for thought. Thanks for composing it for us!
Thank you so much! You are right, it is a multi-tool that can either enhance or inhibit our experiences, depending on how we use it. I use it for photos mainly - much smaller than a camera, and it's always in my pocket. I also use it for notes, like you do. Although I prefer old-fashioned notebooks most of the time, the convenience of a virtual notebook in my pocket often helps.
Backpacking the Appalachian Trail must have been an unforgettable experience! I can imagine how being on the trail would be so much better without the distractions.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
You brought back great memories. I do somehow miss trying to refold the paper maps and never getting it exactly right.
I know, I could never refold them right, either :). Thanks for reading, glad the post brought back memories of fun times traveling with paper maps.